Just drew my old high school coach in state tournament

Our state hosts a tournament at the end of the year called the grand prix and it takes all the people who have qualified (by gathering enough points) and ranks them based on their points. I was seeded 6th overall and drew my old high school coach in the first round. I shouldn't have a problem with him unless the mental thing gets me. I think it's gonna be a little weird but I'm not too worried. Just thought it was kind of funny thats all.

reminds me of a tournament i played this november where i drew a guy who had been top 200 in the world before, and although now he is 30's and hasnt been on tour for a while, it still felt weird knowing i was gonna play someone who was once ranked so high.

Here's the good and bad news: you both know each other's game well. So, use what you know about his strenghts and weaknesses well. Being a coach, he's probably good at doing the same.

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Actually luckily its just the good now. When he had me I was a counterpuncher/opportunist who seldom found way to the net. Now I serve and volley, chip and charge, and mix up everything. Someone else said I have nothing to lose but I am the seed and the young gun. Oh well I think it'll be fun I'm not really going to get nervous or overconfident on this one.

Actually luckily its just the good now. When he had me I was a counterpuncher/opportunist who seldom found way to the net. Now I serve and volley, chip and charge, and mix up everything. Someone else said I have nothing to lose but I am the seed and the young gun. Oh well I think it'll be fun I'm not really going to get nervous or overconfident on this one.

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Good, you are going to surprise him. This one could be as much about the mental aspects of the game as the shots. Personally, I couldn't help but feel like an underdog, but if you win, you'll feel tremendous pride and confidence. Be concious of the momentum swings in the match, and any adjustments he makes.

This is exactly the type of mental match you want to come out on top. A real feather in your cap.

reminds me of a tournament i played this november where i drew a guy who had been top 200 in the world before, and although now he is 30's and hasnt been on tour for a while, it still felt weird knowing i was gonna play someone who was once ranked so high.

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I got creamed by a guy like that in the final of a tournament about twelve years ago. I had lost before the first point began. I got broken early and lost 2 and 2 in about an hour. Beat him in three the next time we played as his wife and baby watched.

Then I sort of became that guy (complete with the cute wife and screaming baby).

I got creamed by a guy like that in the final of a tournament about twelve years ago. I had lost before the first point began. I got broken early and lost 2 and 2 in about an hour. Beat him in three the next time we played as his wife and baby watched.

Then I sort of became that guy (complete with the cute wife and screaming baby).

Along those lines, the up-side of learning tennis when you're young is that your game can peak as your body peaks. You can really reach your full potential. The down-side is that you spend a looooong time thinking about how good you USED to be, as your body declines.

On the other hand, those that take up tennis as an adult (after kids are mostly grown or maybe even out of the house) can improve for a long time. At nearly 52 I'm now a better tennis player than I was at 30. Even though I'm not as fast or strong as I was a few decades ago, I can still see my game improving. I'm hoping it will continue to improve for a few more years before everything starts catching up with me. With any luck, by the time my game starts going downhill, I'll be about ready to kick the bucket anyway.